She's Coming With Us
by Florencetheflowerfairy
Summary: A retelling of the Camping Trip episodes in 02 from the perspective of the girls: Sora Takenouchi, Jun Motomiya, Momoe Inoue, Miyako Inoue, and Hikari Yagami. Alternatively titled, "Sora is going on this camping trip if it is the last thing I do." [Written for the anniversary of the Sorato Topic in Proyecto 1-8]
1. Chapter 1: The Fight

**Digimon does not belong to me.**

 **A story of the Camping Trip episodes in _02_ from the perspective of the girls: Sora Takenouchi, Jun Motomiya, Momoe Inoue, Miyako Inoue, and Hikari Yagami. I make some changes to accommodate for them.**

 **For fans of extra-canon details in _Digimon Adventure_ , my most direct change is that Jun and Momoe are 8th graders instead of high schoolers. Growing up, I had always assumed that Jun was the same age as Taichi, Sora, and Yamato. I think she is more relatable and compelling that way. Within my story, you may assume that Chizuru Inoue is the high school aged Inoue sister instead of Momoe, because I wanted to keep Momoe as Jun's friend.**

 **This story is dedicated to the lovely girls of the Sorato Topic in Proyecto 1-8 for their anniversary!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **"She's coming with us"**

 **Chapter 1: The Fight**

"You left without even telling me. You could have been killed!" Momoe Inoue spoke briskly and narrowed her eyes. She was standing by the closet in Jun Motomiya's room. Momoe crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she waited for her best friend to respond.

"Oh, but darling, I didn't want to worry you," Jun recited. She turned the page of the script book for _The Worm's Last Battle_ , the original play that the Theatre Club would be performing in September when they returned to school. Momoe had memorized almost all her lines, but she still wanted Jun's help to practice. Momoe had landed the role of the leading lady, and Jun was reading the part of the heroine's dashing heroic boyfriend.

Normally, Jun was excited to help Momoe rehearse for plays. She would speak in a funny accent and make wild hand gestures, often making Momoe break out of character and laugh. But today, Jun was lying on her stomach on the bed, and she slowly read the lines in an almost monotone voice.

Momoe clicked her tongue. "Worry me? You didn't want to _worry me?_ "

Jun blinked. "Oh right. My line. Ahem. I am so sorry, my dear—"

"You can't just waltz off with the boys to a knife fight without even telling me!"

"Please, darling, listen to me. I was never in any real danger. I watched the fight from the sidelines. I was only there to support my friends." Jun didn't sound apologetic in her delivery at all. She only sounded bored.

"You have to tell me these things! We're partners. Don't you respect me?" Momoe's voice cracked as if she would cry.

"Of course I respect you. I won't run away like that again. I promise. Do you still want to be with me?"

Momoe paused, and finally forced a smile. "Don't worry. My love for you was never in doubt."

Jun turned the page again. "And that's the end of the scene. Are we done yet?"

"But that was only the first scene," Momoe objected.

"You already know all your lines." Jun yawned. "Anyway, I'm tired!"

"Okay," Momoe relented and put the script book back in her bag.

"Hey. Hey." Jun perked up. "Do you think Yamato would like it if I got a haircut?"

Momoe grimaced. _Not Yamato again_. "No, I don't think he would."

"But he might!" Jun ran her fingers through her large, thick hair. "It always looks so messy. Everyone says so."

"I like your hair."

"But this isn't about you. It's about Yamato."

Momoe snapped, "Why do you even like Yamato? He's the same stupid boy from Elementary School who gets into fist fights and grunts instead of talking."

"What?" Jun laughed. "Are you blind? Yamato is the hottest, most popular boy in school! And he doesn't grunt. He uses that deep, sexy baritone voice to _sing_. He's a _talented_ musician. Everyone knows that."

"I don't care about being popular, and you shouldn't either."

Jun snorted. "Well yeah, obviously you don't care about being popular. You're in a play about worms!"

"The worm is a literary symbol…" Momoe was stung. "I can sing too. I was in the spring musical and you never came. Because you were obsessed with that basketball player."

Jun cringed. She regretted her harsh words, but she also resented her friend's haughty tone. "His name was Shigeo and I'm over him. I like Yamato now. Are you still upset about that?"

"Yeah! A little!"

"I thought we were over this. You were only playing 'Maid Number 2.' Shigeo had an important game. You said it was okay."

"I'm your actual best friend since kindergarten, and none of these boys even care about you. Everyone else thinks you're loud and annoying."

Jun's eyes widened. "Why are you being so _mean_ all of a sudden?"

"I'm the normal one. You're the one who suddenly likes stupid boys and wants to be popular. You've been getting meaner since we started Middle School and I'm tired of it!"

Jun sat up and glared at the girl. "Well, I'm tired of your self-righteous attitude. Everyone else thinks you're super pretentious. So there!"

"I don't need your help rehearsing anyway." Momoe slung her bag over her shoulder. "Yamato Ishida is still a brainless caveman. Good luck getting him to like you."

"You're wrong about Yamato! He's way cooler than you! And good luck with your dumb worm play!"

Momoe slammed the door on her way out. Jun grabbed her pillow and threw it at the closet. She took several deep breaths, and then picked up her scrapbook that she hid under the bed. The most recent three pages were filled with pictures of the Teenage Wolves and their song lyrics. Jun traced her finger around Yamato's blond head, from a photograph of him performing in a coffee shop.

Momoe was so immature. Jun liked boys because she was _growing up_. And so _what_ if she wanted to be popular? Everyone wants to be popular. Some people are just too pretentious to admit it.

 _Momoe is wrong about Yamato_ , Jun thought. _Yamato has such pretty blue eyes… He HAS to be nice! The nicest, sweetest, handsomest, most popular boy. I can get him to notice me._

 _I don't need Momoe_.

…

Far, far away in another dimension, Miyako Inoue was flying on a giant horned bird over a bright blue ocean. It would have been a gorgeous beach except for the ugly line of tall, black obelisks cutting through it. And the summer sunlight glared against the girl's glasses, making it impossible to appreciate the view anyway. Miyako held her hand over her eyes, trying to shield her vision…

"Miyako! Watch out!" She heard Takeru's voice behind her—too late—as a dolphin digimon leaped out of the water and rammed into the girl's partner. Halsemon flipped sideways and Miyako lost her grip.

"AAAAHHHH!" The girl fell into the waves. She couldn't close her mouth fast enough and swallowed sea water. Miyako stubbornly swam upward and spat it out in the air. "HALSEMOOO—!" Her head bobbed underwater again.

"Miyako! Hang in there!" Halsemon shouted, and he dived at the Dolphinmon before she could hurt his partner. The enemy monster had a black ring around her body.

"YEAH! GET THE RIN—!" The waves crashed over Miyako's head again. She swam back up. "WITH YOUR BEAK—!" And again. "YOU CAN DO IT—" Again. "DON'T MIND ME! I'M ONLY DROWNING OVER HERE!" She tasted sea water again and the waves pushed her farther down. Her helmet kept her glasses firmly pressed on her face, but that didn't help her vision underwater with so many fast-moving bubbles, and it certainly didn't help her breathe… Miyako felt something long and thin wrap around her waist tightly, and she couldn't scream for help. But it yanked her back up to the sunlight. She tasted air and gasped for breath. "Aaahh! Oh—it's only you, Yamato." She coughed the last part of her sentence so that it was unintelligible.

Yamato growled like a grizzly bear and kept his right arm tight around her waist, while swimming to the shore with his left arm. Over Yamato's shoulder, Miyako saw that Halsemon managed to free the Dolphinmon from the black ring. Then Yamato pulled her onto the shore and finally let her go. He panted on all fours.

"Are you…all…right?" He wheezed.

Miyako spluttered out some water and opted to nod instead of talk. Her savior sighed in relief. His eyes were wide and he was shaking. Miyako had never seen Yamato look so terrified before.

"Gabumon…can make you warm…" Yamato gestured to his furry partner who was unable to evolve.

Gabumon patted the boy's shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice. "Shh. Calm down. You're both safe." Yamato sighed again and leaned his forehead on top of the digimon's snout.

Miyako found her voice again. "TAKERU WATCH OUT!"

"AAAHHH!" Takeru fell off of Pegasusmon into the ocean. "Help meee!"

Yamato grunted and immediately ran back into the ocean. Gabumon waved his arms and shouted, "Yamato! Let the _digimon_ save them! Honestly!"

Miyako almost laughed at the exasperated tone in Gabumon's voice. But she knew that laughing would be mean. From a distance, Yamato looked the part of a dashing hero, swimming in the sea with his blond hair glistening in the sun. It was strange to see him like this, after hearing Momoe complain about Yamato so much.

Maybe he was a little like a caveman—Momoe's preferred description of the grunting boy—but there was more to Yamato than that. And he was clearly more than a pretty face… Miyako listened to her thoughts and hung her head in shame.

 _I can't judge Momoe. I'm the one who likes people based on how pretty they are._


	2. Chapter 2: The Base

**Chapter 2: The Base**

The Chosen Children had split into three groups to search for the Kaiser's Base. Taichi asked Sora to check out Buffer Bus Cliffs, while his group searched Floppy Disk Forest, and Yamato's team explored Bandwidth Beach. Koushiro had pegged all three as possible locations for Ken's villainous hideout.

Buffer Bus Cliffs rose out of a desert known for its dinosaur digimon, but Sora's group hadn't seen any enemies yet. Still, the cliffs were imposing enough on their own. The shortest section they could find was about 100 feet tall. And in typical bizarre Digital World style, the cliffs were dotted with buses, as if a thousand drivers had flown their vehicles into them. Now the cliff walls had buses and automobile parts jutting out of their rocks, the remnants of an enormous environmental car crash.

The cliffs were tall, but they didn't look too steep, and Sora could see resting spots above them. She believed that her teammates could make it, so she started climbing and encouraged Koushiro and Iori to follow in her footsteps. Piyomon pointed out for the third time that moving upwards would be easier with Birdramon's help, and Sora reminded Piyomon for the fourth time that she didn't want a large digimon to attract attention. The younger boys followed Sora's lead without question, carefully grabbing the same footholds she used.

They had almost reached the top when Sora heard a scream behind her. She whipped her head around and saw that Iori had slipped, but Koushiro had grabbed his hand and prevented him from falling. A faint dust cloud surrounded the boys now, but Sora clearly saw Iori's pale, frightened face.

"Are you all right?!" Sora called.

Iori nodded and spoke quietly. "I'm fine. We shouldn't make loud noises."

"Are you sure?" Koushiro asked. The red-headed boy looked stunned at his own physical competence.

"Yes. Thank you." The smallest boy found his footing again and continued climbing.

Sora believed him and saw that he was blushing, so she looked away. She only had a few more feet ahead of her; she grabbed a tire sticking out of the cliff and used it to pull herself up to the top. "Oh…" The sight on the other side of the cliff was horrifying.

"What is it?" Koushiro climbed faster, his curiosity piqued. His friend didn't answer him right away; she knelt and grabbed his hand so that he could see for himself. Then she pulled up Iori after him. Koushiro's eyes widened and he stated the obvious: "This must be the Kaiser's Base!"

On the other side of Buffer Bus Cliffs was a sheer drop, leading down to a secret canyon. The ground was covered with Dark Towers, and a large, rounded, earth-colored building was planted in the center. Most worryingly, the children finally saw the residential dinosaur digimon. They were already trapped in Dark Rings and appeared to be fighting each other for the Kaiser's amusement. A green Tuskmon bit a DarkTyrannomon's neck and ripped out flecks of data; the DarkTyrannomon fell and disintegrated before their eyes.

Iori's eyes flashed. "How cruel…"

Sora felt sick to her stomach. She saw that Piyomon was shaking, so she stroked the feathers on her head to calm her.

Koushiro looked down and started typing an email on his D-3. _Dear Taichi, I believe that we have found the Digimon Kaiser's Base. I'll send you a photog_

"They see us!" Iori whispered, his eyes wide. The Tuskmon was staring straight at them.

Koushiro dropped his D-3 before he could finish typing and Tentomon dived and caught it. "Ah!" The boy pulled out his digivice and realized that the screen was static. "Oh bother. Of course it's impossible to evolve here."

Sora scanned her surroundings. They needed to leave _now—_

Suddenly a Kuwagamon appeared in front of them, a black ring clamped around its red pincers, ready to strike the intruders. Koushiro covered his head.

"Let me handle this!" Armadimon nudged Iori's leg.

The third grader stood his ground and yelled " _Digimental Up!_ " His words summoned a yellow light that surrounded his partner and transformed him into a large insectoid with a drill for a nose: Digmon. Digmon leaped onto the attacking red stag beetle with a threatening whirring noise.

Sora grabbed a large sheet of metal sticking out of the ground and yanked it out with Piyomon's help. She laid it down like a sled. "Get on!"

The boys didn't need to be told twice. Sora climbed on behind them and pushed the makeshift sled forward, so they started sliding down Buffer Bus Cliffs. Faster and faster, farther away from the Kaiser's hidden canyon.

"AAA—AAAA—AAAHH!" The children's screams were punctuated by their bumpy ride. Sora realized that she couldn't steer this thing and prayed that they wouldn't crash.

Koushiro stopped screaming first and pulled his digivice out of his pocket again, testing their distance from the Dark Towers. "Almost there, almost..." He met Tentomon's eyes. His digimon was flying right above him and trying not to panic. Then a sinister shadow flew over them and Tentomon let out a robotic shriek.

"Muahahaha!" They heard Ken's laugh from on top of a Devidramon, a long black dragon with scarlet talons. "Going somewhere?"

Koushiro yelped. "Tentomon now!"

" _Tentomon evooolve—!_ "

A wave of dark energy crashed into the robot ladybug and sent him flying backwards.

Ken giggled and juggled his own digivice between his hands. "Did you forget that you can't evolve around the Dark Digivice? Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"

Koushiro ignored him. "Tentomon!"

"Shut up, Ken!" Sora growled like a mama bear, holding her teammates tight.

"It's not _Ken_ ," Ken snarled. "It's _Digimon Kaiser_. Your ruling overlord, king, dungeon master, etcetera. Capiche?"

"How dare you treat those digimon that way!" Iori demanded.

Ken stood up on the Devidramon so that he was even taller, and smiled immaturely. "What way?"

"Ken, sit down!" Behind the young Kaiser, his Wormmon grabbed his pant leg and pulled down, afraid that the boy would lose his balance.

Ken wobbled precariously and sat back down, not looking quite as cool as he hoped. "What are you even doing here?" he asked angrily.

"I have no intention of answering you!" Iori retorted.

"Well! I have no intention of letting you escape—" Ken was interrupted by a crashing noise and a cloud of dust beneath him. The noise on its own was enough to make Ken lose his bearings, but when the dust dissipated then the children were gone. "What?!"

Out of Ken's sight, Sora's metal sled had fallen into a hole in the cliff wall, and the three children tumbled down into darkness, screaming again. They landed with a painful thud.

"Ahh—aah—ow…" Koushiro whimpered, on the bottom of the pile.

Sora stood up first and pulled Iori to his feet.

"We lost him," Iori muttered. Sora thought that Iori looked okay, but Koushiro…

"Are you hurt?" Sora kneeled next to her old friend.

"I'm fine?" Koushiro's high-pitched, strained voice betrayed him. He tried to stand up and couldn't. "Ow!—Where are we?" He scanned the cave curiously.

"Digmon!" Iori spotted his partner first and hugged him. "You dug a hole and saved us!"

"YEAH!" Digimon whirred his drill claws triumphantly.

Piyomon and Tentomon fluttered safely down the hole. "Not so loud! We're hiding!" Piyomon scolded.

"Koushiro!" Tentomon buzzed his wings nervously. "Can you walk?"

"I uh…I don't know," he confessed. His left ankle hurt terribly.

Sora held the boy's shoulders and gingerly lifted him to his feet. "We need to go," she insisted. Koushiro kept wincing and Sora's heart hurt to watch him struggle.

 _We don't need to go far_ , she thought. _Just far enough to evolve Birdramon_.

With that thought, Sora wrapped her arms around Koushiro's back and knees and swept him off the ground. He quickly wrapped his arms around her neck gratefully. Sora marched forward and called "Let's go!" to the others. Digmon and Iori quickly pulled ahead of her and Digmon began noisily drilling another tunnel to escape.

…

From his perch on Devidramon, Ken still couldn't see where those annoying kids went. But his thoughts were interrupted by a loud hawk-like cry, and he finally saw Birdramon fly away in the distance, the three humans riding safely on her talons.

"Ken, shall we chase them?" Wormmon asked.

Ken shook his head and forced a smile and another laugh, which made the green caterpillar nervous. "So that's the mighty Birdramon! I've got some nice data now!"

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 **Don't forget to review! Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Plan

**Chapter 3: The Plan**

Koushiro's room was small and usually not this crowded. There were already four kids and four digimon sitting on his bed. Yamato was pacing anxiously next to his bookshelves. But Taichi was comfortable in this familiar place, sitting backwards on Koushiro's chair and keeping his eyes on the computer screen.

Miyako squeezed water out of her long hair and tried to listen to Daisuke and Takeru talk. Apparently Daisuke's group hadn't found the Base either, but they did find long rows of Dark Towers in Floppy Disk Forest. It made Miyako furious. _How could that boy be so vile? How could she have been so blind?_

Without warning a flash of white light flooded the room, and out of the computer tumbled Sora, Koushiro and Iori. Taichi grinned. "Welcome back!"

Sora stood up first, looking frazzled. "Is everyone here?"

"Yeah, we're all good!" Taichi replied.

Behind him, Yamato stopped pacing and ran his fingers through his wet hair, suddenly self-conscious of how dirty he was from the digital sand and seawater. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Sora looked at Koushiro expectantly and helped him to his feet.

Koushiro felt everyone staring at him and dodged the question. "Where's my mother?"

"Don't worry. She's not back yet," Taichi answered. His smile faded when he saw that Koushiro was in pain. "Oh no. You mean you need her because you're hurt! What happened to you?"

"I don't need—I mean—I think I sprained my ankle?" Koushiro looked sheepish. Taichi immediately stood up and spun the chair around for him. His younger friend sat down wordlessly and faced the computer so he wouldn't have to look at everyone's eyes on him.

"Seriously, what happened?" Taichi asked again.

"We found the Kaiser's Base!" Iori burst out, unable to keep quiet any longer. His companions gasped and Iori smiled proudly in spite of himself. "The Kaiser chased us and Digmon rescued us just in time!"

"You saw Ken?" Daisuke asked excitedly.

"Yes! We found him! He's hiding out behind Buffer Bus Cliffs!" Iori gritted his teeth. "And he's killing digimon for sport!"

Hikari breathed in sharply. Beside her on the bed, Miyako turned pale. All of their digimon partners protested angrily.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Daisuke punched his fist in the air. "We found Ken's base so we should strike! Right, Chibimon?"

"Yeah!" Chibimon squeaked.

"Wait just a second!" Takeru interjected eagerly. "If we're attacking the Kaiser's Base, we need a plan first. Right?" He looked at Yamato for approval.

"Sorry, I knew that. I was just saying how I felt…" Daisuke faltered and looked at Taichi. Both older boys were already preoccupied with Koushiro's computer screen and didn't notice them.

Miyako spoke quietly. "It won't be as easy as before, huh?" The younger boys turned around to face her instead. Sora also looked away from Koushiro's screen to face her; she thought that the younger girl sounded despondent.

"That's right. We may not be able to do it in one day as always," Takeru answered.

Miyako swallowed. "Right. If we're worried about time, we won't be able to take down his base…"

Hikari stood up on her feet. She was always so reserved, but now her voice was more confident than either of her boy classmates. "Exactly. We won't return until we beat the Kaiser. That's the sort of determination we need."

"Determination?" Miyako's eyes widened. She stared at her knees as the others kept talking. Hikari's assertive tone of voice rattled her. Miyako had never spent the night in the Digital World. She had never fought a tyrant like Vamdemon or Piedmon, like Hikari had. And she had completely misjudged Ken's character. _I'm way out of my league here…_

The four older children were still huddled by Koushiro's computer, studying their map of Dark Towers.

"Naturally, our digimon won't be able to evolve with the Dark Towers around," Koushiro stated.

Yamato sighed. "If we went to the Digital World, we'd be no help…"

Taichi slapped Yamato's back. "No, we can help them even if we don't go with them!" Everyone turned to their loud leader. "Camping! We should all go camping!"

"Camping?" Takeru scratched his head.

"You mean, we'll say we're camping, and then we go to the Digital World?" Hikari asked.

"Exactly." Taichi winked at his sister. "But, we'll be in trouble if our parents call, right? So, us three will actually go camping."

"Us three?" Sora raised her eyebrows.

"Of course _you're_ coming with us!" Taichi clapped Sora's shoulder as well.

Koushiro did some quick math and cleared his throat. "Taichi, are you saying that I'm not invited?"

Taichi's eyes widened when he realized that he hurt his friend's feelings. "No, I didn't—I mean, your foot is hurt. You don't have to come."

Koushiro rotated his chair to face the three eighth graders and crossed his arms. "This isn't going to be an athletically strenuous trip, correct?"

"Um…"

"We're not hiking or climbing or swimming, correct? We're just going to huddle around my computer in a remote location, yes? Like we're doing right now?"

The sides of Taichi's mouth turned up and he tried to suppress a grin. "Yes."

"I think that my particular skill set might be useful, don't you think?"

"Yes, I do think." Taichi laughed. "Fine. You can come with us so you can work your computer magic, and the three of us will do the important job of supervising you."

"Koushiro does need a lot of supervision," Sora deadpanned. Yamato laughed.

"Thank you," Koushiro replied and rotated his chair back to his screen, smiling a little. It wasn't that long ago that Koushiro would have been too nervous to ask a simple question like that, but he had grown so comfortable with his older friends. Despite the pain in his foot, Koushiro felt really lucky in this moment.

"So we'll be their alibi?" Yamato stared at the children on the bed. Takeru's hat was still wet from falling into the ocean. Yamato had to trust that they would be okay on their own.

"Yeah! Great idea, right?"

"Yeah." Sora looked at Miyako again. The girl was much quieter than normal.

…

Taichi and Hikari stepped out of the apartment building and turned left on the sidewalk to walk home. Miyako, Takeru and Iori all turned right. Takeru tried to help Iori brainstorm what he could tell his mother. Iori did not feel comfortable lying at all, and he kept saying so.

Miyako let her two neighbors walk ahead. She didn't feel up to conversation with them…

"Hey!" Sora jogged out of the apartment building and caught up with the lone girl.

"Uh, hey," Miyako responded, flustered.

"Do you mind if I walk with you?"

Miyako stammered, "N-no, I don't mind."

"Thanks." Sora smiled encouragingly. "Are you nervous about asking your parents' permission?"

"Huh? Oh nope! Not at all. They're super cool. Plus, they let me do whatever I want since I'm the youngest."

Sora laughed. "My mom's not like that at all. I'm actually a little nervous about asking her."

Miyako blinked. "Really?" It was hard for Miyako to imagine Sora being nervous.

"Yeah. Um… Yamato mentioned that you had a hard time in the Digital World?"

"Oh _that_." Miyako laughed. "Right, I got attacked by a dolphin. Just another day at the office!"

Sora was glad to see Miyako smile again, but she couldn't figure out why the younger girl was acting so unusually forlorn. There was so much responsibility on Miyako's shoulders, and Sora wished that she could take that burden on herself. If only Sora knew the right words to say…

Behind them, Yamato was the last to step out of Koushiro's apartment complex. He stuck his hands in his pockets and crossed the street. Out of everyone's earshot, he growled in frustration.

 _He had lost his chance. He wanted to ask Sora if he could walk her home. Before they left, Sora had touched his arm and asked him what was wrong with Miyako. Yamato answered her question as best he could, and then Sora raced out of the building before he could say anything more. He lost his chance._

 _Yamato knew that he shouldn't feel this irritated at himself. Of course Sora was worried about Miyako and wanted to comfort her. Yamato knew that was objectively more important._

 _And yet. Though he was hiding it well, Yamato was also shaken by the day's events. And he thought, Maybe Sora would understand, Maybe we could talk about it together. I can't talk about this with Dad…_

 _Sora, can we walk home together?_

Yamato was ashamed of himself for not being able to ask such a simple question to his friend.

* * *

 **Review?**


	4. Chapter 4: Permission

**Chapter 4: Permission**

"Takeru is going on a camping trip this weekend with his dad. Can I go with him?" Miyako raised her voice over her siblings at the dinner table.

Miyako's mother beamed. "Wow! A camping trip? How fun. We haven't gone camping in ages!"

"I hate nature," Chizuru Inoue chimed in unhelpfully.

"Where are they going camping?" Miyako's father asked, piling soy sauce on his meal.

"Lake Yamanaka. Takeru says he goes there every summer. Iori and a lot of other friends are coming too."

"Well, I think that sounds great! As long as Mr. Takaishi is coming with you," Mr. Inoue said genially.

"It's Mr. Ishida," Momoe corrected her father. She was glumly pecking at her dinner with her chopsticks.

"Right, you're right," Mr. Inoue conceded.

"Thank you for being such a good neighbor to Takeru," Mrs. Inoue nodded to her youngest daughter. Miyako shrugged and stuffed a dumpling in her mouth.

"Do you _like_ him?" Mantarou asked.

Miyako almost choked on her dumpling. She glared at her older brother, who was grinning in his usual teasing way. "No I don't!"

"It's just that you've barely mentioned your boyfriend Ken for weeks!" Mantarou chuckled.

Chizuru stomped on her brother's foot under the table and hissed at him. "The genius boy is missing, remember?"

Mantarou winced and his cheeks glowed red. He had forgotten. "Sorry…"

Miyako pointed her chopstick at him angrily. "Ken Ichijouji is NOT my BOYFRIEND!" Her behavior was unusually defensive.

"Dear, please don't shout at the table," her mother said gently.

"We just have to put our faith in the police, and we shouldn't worry too much about things we can't control," her father added. "The police will find him."

"I'm not _worried_ about Ken!" Miyako insisted, but then she realized that nobody believed her. Tears pricked at her eyes. For the first time in hiding her secret life in the Digital World from her family, it hurt that she couldn't tell them the truth. Miyako was worried about a thousand things, but it felt like these people only saw her as boy-crazy.

Miyako wished that she could be more like Hikari. Despite being younger and quieter than her, Hikari was much more brave and mature. _Hikari wasn't shallow_ …

Miyako avoided her family's eyes and excused herself from the dinner table. She brought her unfinished plate to her room, where she shut the door and gave the food to Poromon. He wolfed down the meal gratefully, and Miyako watched him in silence.

There was a knock on her door and Miyako jumped in surprise.

"Do you want to talk?" It was Momoe's voice.

Miyako almost said "No" but she was too sincere. "Y-yes I do! WAIT ONE MINUTE!" She shoved Poromon and her dinner plate into the closet. Poromon grumbled and Miyako shushed him. "COME IN!"

Momoe stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Hey… This isn't just about Ken, is it?"

Miyako's mouth was dry. This was a prime opportunity smacking her in the face. _Momoe had actually believed her_. Miyako could open the closet right now, show Poromon, and tell her sister the whole truth…

Miyako folded her hands behind her back. She was still too nervous. If she told the whole truth, Momoe might panic and ruin everything. "Well, it's a _little_ bit about Ken."

"Did you hear something about him?" Momoe's eyes widened.

"Sort of…" Miyako sighed. "I learned that he's not a good person."

"Huh?" Momoe hadn't been expecting _that_.

"Obviously I still want him to go home!" Miyako fumbled awkwardly. "But—he's not kind—he's a _bully_ —and—I just—I _hate_ bullies—do you think I'm shallow for liking him?"

"Oh Miyako," Momoe relaxed, beginning to understand. "My baby sister isn't shallow! You're the first girl president of the Computer Club! You've stood up to bullies all your life! I think you're worth ten of Ken. If he is a bully," she added.

Miyako's heart felt a little lighter. "He is! He's the very worst!"

Momoe felt guilty about insulting a missing person, but she also wanted to comfort her baby sister. "It's not shallow if you stop having a crush on someone when you learn that they're a jerk. That's the _opposite_ of shallow."

"Huh." Miyako felt relieved. She hadn't thought of it that way.

"You know what _is_ shallow behavior…" Momoe crossed her arms and frowned at the ceiling. "Is falling in love with a _stupid caveman_ that you've known for _years_ , just because he's _in a band_ , and blowing off your best friend!"

Miyako stopped herself from laughing. She didn't know how to tell Momoe that Yamato had saved her baby sister's life earlier today. She also really didn't want to hear Momoe complain about Jun. So she just nodded. "Yeah, I agree. Thanks. I need to work on homework."

"What's _really_ shallow is—okay." Momoe finished. She felt that Miyako had to be hiding something else from her, but at least her little sister didn't look so forlorn anymore. So she left the room.

Miyako spun on her heels and threw open the closet door. She grinned at Poromon. "Determination, Poromon! We've got to be determined and believe in ourselves, just like Hikari!"

"Yes!" Poromon slurped the last of the noodles.

Miyako started punching and kicking the air. "We're going to win! We're going to show that stupid genius bully who's boss! And we're going to force him to _march straight home_ and _apologize_! Hiya! Take that! Haha!"

Poromon pressed his wing to his forehead and sighed.  
…

Toshiko Takenouchi took a long sip of her tea. When she looked back at her daughter, her mouth was a long thin line. "I don't like this arrangement at all, Sora."

Sora kept still and didn't break eye contact with her mother. They were both kneeling on mats, separated by a tea table. They were surrounded by potted floral arrangements by Toshiko's students, but they weren't discussing that. They were discussing Taichi's camping plan—which Toshiko had immediately dismissed. Sora struggled to keep her patience.

"Mother, these boys are my best friends. I lived with them for months in the Digital World. We didn't even have a cabin for camping back then. They're all very respectful of me. And Yamato's father is coming with us. So I don't think there's anything inappropriate about me going on a camping trip with them."

Toshiko raised her eyebrows. "Do you think I disapprove of you spending the night with these boys?"

"Um…" Sora's face turned red.

"You may all be getting older, but I'm not worried about that. I certainly don't care if our neighbors think it inappropriate for you to go on a camping trip with boys your own age." Toshiko set down her tea cup. "What I dislike is that we are lying to these new children's parents."

"Oh," Sora faltered. She didn't know what to say.

"If a new generation of children is going on a dangerous mission to the digital world, then their parents have the right to know," Toshiko said firmly.

"But…" Sora had to be strong. "Mom, if we tell their parents the truth, then they might stop them from going!"

"They have the right to make that decision for them."

Sora kept her voice steady. "This mission is bigger than us. The digimon in the Digital World are depending on us. Digimon have hearts and souls and their lives matter just as much as ours. We have to do this, to save them. They're all in danger. Piyomon too!" She spoke faster and faster until Toshiko raised her hand. Then she stopped.

"This shouldn't be a job for children. I don't want to be complicit in lying to their parents." Toshiko's voice was cold and final.

"I know…" Sora took a deep breath and tried to see things from her mother's point of view. For her own part, Sora felt incredibly guilty that she wouldn't be able to accompany Miyako and the rest on their mission. So then…how much worse must her mother feel? Toshiko didn't even have a digimon partner to protect her loved ones. Toshiko didn't want to feel useless any more than Sora did. Sora viewed this camping trip as just a small way she could actually be of use—but Toshiko didn't even have that. Toshiko was only trying to do the responsible thing…

"I'm sorry Mom. We can't help that we were chosen and children. This…this time is different for the new children than how it was for us back then. This time they can use their digivices to return to the real world whenever they want." Sora thought that she saw her mother bite her lip. She quickly pressed on. "It's not as dangerous for them. I promise. And Taichi, Yamato, Koushiro, me, and Mr. Ishida will be watching over them the whole time!"

Toshiko broke eye contact and took another sip of her tea. "It's not that I don't trust you…"

Sora hesitated in case her mother had more to say, and then she continued. "It's not just the digimon who need our help. A human boy ran away into the Digital World and he refuses to come back."

"Ken Ichijouji?" Toshiko guessed accurately.

"Yes. He's wreaking havoc in the digital world. He doesn't understand that digimon lives are precious too. They need to find him, make him understand, and bring him home. They're the only ones who can save him, Mom. The police will never find him in our world."

Toshiko's heart felt heavy. She had seen the Ichijouji parents crying on the news. She had understood that pain of missing your own child… "You make a compelling case, Sora."

Sora held her breath.

Toshiko met her eyes again. "You may go on this camping trip. You must call me immediately if anything goes wrong."

"Yes, Mother. Thank you." Sora bowed her head. She unclenched her fists and her breathing relaxed.

"Now, to be honest, I _am_ glad that Mr. Ishida will be watching over you and Yamato."

Sora's face felt hot again. She sat upright and saw Toshiko was drinking her tea, but her eyes were smiling.

" _Mother!_ "

…

"Hey. Hey." Jun delivered Daisuke's dinner to his room and poked her head over his shoulder.

"What's with you?" Daisuke leaned away from her and continued throwing clothes in his backpack.

"So you're going camping?"

"Yeah." Daisuke threw in a bottle of cologne. In case the need arose for him to impress Hikari.

"With Takeru and the others?"

"Yeah." Daisuke threw in his 4th grade soccer trophy. In case the need arose for him to impress Ken.

"That means Yamato is going too?!"

"Yeah!" Daisuke realized that there was no room for his teddy bear and dumped the contents of his bag. Maybe he didn't need to bring soap.

"I see! Then—then…" Jun's eyes were shining—then she blinked. "Is Miyako going?"

"Yeahhh." Daisuke tried to fit in his teddy bear, increasingly irritated.

"Does that mean Momoe is going too?"

"Yeah—I mean no."

"Oh…" Jun shook her head and smiled again. "That's perfect! Then it's just Yamato!"

"And a bunch of other kids."

"On a romantic getaway to Yamanaka!" Jun spun in a circle.

"Stop being so annoying. Get out!"

"What?—Oof! Hey!" Jun protested as her younger brother pushed her out of his room.

"You don't have permission to come!" Daisuke slammed the door on her.

* * *

 **Happy Mother's Day!**


	5. Chapter 5: Departure

**Chapter 5: Departure**

Hikari walked behind her older brother into Yamato's apartment. Everyone else was already there, crowded in Yamato's bedroom. Her pink backpack was heavy on her shoulders, but she wasn't complaining. She watched Taichi greet their teammates with a loud "HELLO!" and a thoughtful "How are you?" and an encouraging "I believe in you guys!" Hikari grinned and nodded at his words. She watched Daisuke match her older brother's giant smile and repeat after him, "I believe in YOU guys too!" Taichi and his best friend Sora both laughed at that, and Sora remarked that her team had the easy job.

Hikari saw Koushiro sitting on the floor with his back to everyone, fixing a computer. She noticed that he had a pair of crutches lying next to him. Taichi knelt beside the boy and asked him if he felt okay. Koushiro's head jolted up and he smiled brightly at his friend and nodded. Now that she could see his face, Hikari saw that Koushiro looked tired, but she didn't worry about him. She knew that the seventh-grader was tough like she was. She knew that he would much rather be participating in this mission than lying down at home. Hikari knew that her brother and all the older Chosen Children felt that way. She didn't blame them.

She didn't catch the rest of their conversation, but she saw from the boys' smiles and their relaxed postures that they were all right. Taichi held out his fist and Koushiro awkwardly fist-bumped him, only to get caught in Taichi's tight hug. Her brother gave excellent hugs. He was the warmest person she knew.

The other boys were huddled together. Yamato was asking her friend Takeru if he had brought everything he needed for the trip. Then he talked to Daisuke and Iori in the same worried tone of voice. Takeru giggled at his brother and waved at her. She smiled and waved back. She was a little worried about Takeru. He had been acting angrier lately. Impatient. Harder to read. Still, she knew that Takeru had a good head on his shoulders. And he had the most experience of them all. She saw that Daisuke and Iori looked a tad nervous, but she was sure that Takeru would be a calming voice for the team on this trip.

However, the person who commanded the most attention was Miyako. She marched around the room shouting "BINGO BINGO!" and "LET'S GO!" and she karate-chopped Yamato's CD collection. Sora put the CDs back on the shelf and tried to talk to the girl, looking flustered. It was a relief to see Miyako in higher spirits, but something felt _off_ about her. Hikari saw it too. But unlike Sora, Momoe, and Miyako's parents, Hikari accurately guessed what was wrong.

 _We won't return until we beat the Kaiser. That's the sort of determination we need._

Hikari had said those words, and Miyako looked frightened. Had Hikari made the older girl feel self-conscious? The fifth-grader swallowed. She had only been trying to say the right thing…

Hikari was quiet, but she was observant. People called her mysterious. Odd. She only opened up to close friends. But even if other people didn't understand her, Hikari could often decipher what was going on in other people's minds. Taichi had tried to rationalize what virtue the crest of "light" could represent, and he said that he believed his sister had an "enlightened perspective." He said that she noticed things that nobody else did.

For all the good _that_ was. What use was it to be observant when she wasn't warm like her brother and she didn't know how to talk to people? Hikari had the sinking feeling that she had hurt Miyako's feelings, but her mouth was dry and she didn't know what to say…

The digimon looked more emotional than their humans. All except for Tailmon, who had the steely-eyed expression of a ruthless general. Out of everybody here, Hikari was most grateful for Tailmon's presence. She petted her partner's fur and felt braver. She reminded herself that they were fighting to save the digimon. The digimon were counting on them to defeat the Kaiser. Thousands of digimon were suffering, like Tailmon had suffered for all those years.

Hikari always put on a brave face, and she realized that she must have fooled Miyako. But inside, she was terrified. The Kaiser treated digimon like video game characters. What if he killed one of their partners this time?

"Are you ready?" Taichi interrupted her train of thought.

"We're ready," Hikari answered. Tailmon nodded.

Taichi enveloped his sister in a warm hug. The girl sighed and immediately felt better.

"Make me proud," he said. "You're going to be great like always."

"Thanks!" she responded.

Sora smiled at the heartwarming sight. Beyond them, she saw Yamato pat Takeru's head and then stick his hands back in his pockets.

"Let's go then! Digital Gate, open! Chosen Children, let's roll!" Miyako left Sora's side and shouted excitedly. She pointed her digivice at the computer, and a white light encircled the elementary schoolers and their digimon partners. It drew the group into the monitor, leaving the four middle-schoolers behind. There was a quiet moment as they all stared at the empty space where their younger friends had been standing.

"Oh…" Sora let out a warble before she could stop herself. Then she felt a long, thin arm wrap around her shoulders.

"They'll be okay." It was Yamato's baritone voice. Sora reached up and touched his fingers gratefully. She knew him, and she knew how difficult it was for Yamato to be so openly affectionate. It was enough to distract her, to make her face feel hot. Did the boys notice how her face was turning red as her hair? Did Taichi notice? Was he about to make fun of her? Her knees buckled and Yamato instinctively held her tighter. Sora let another short gasp escape her lips.

 _How often did she daydream about Yamato holding her in his arms?_ Sora felt guilty for letting her mind wander at a time like this…

"Yamato's right. Now let's do our part," Taichi said as he picked up two bags and handed Koushiro his crutches. He didn't tease his best friend. Sora felt relieved. She squeezed Yamato's hand and let him go so she could put on her backpack.

 _Even after all these years, it was still hard being the only girl. She missed Mimi dearly. She wished that it was easier for her to trust Taichi, but years of teasing had made her harder. Bitter. Even though she loved Taichi with her life and she knew that he never meant harm._

 _Sora thought about Miyako and Hikari as she followed the boys into the elevator. She hoped with all her heart that they would find the strength they needed._

…

Hiroaki Ishida was parked on the street in his van, waiting for them.

"Did they go?" he asked.

"Yeah," Yamato answered.

"Thanks for taking us!" Taichi exclaimed and climbed in the backseat. He grabbed Koushiro's arm and helped him sit beside him.

"Thanks," Koushiro repeated. He set the crutches on the floor and held his laptop close to his chest, protectively.

"Yes, thank you." Sora sat beside them and shut the door. "My mother appreciates your helping us too."

Hiroaki quietly muttered "You're welcome" in way that reminded Sora of Yamato and made her smile. The man squinted at Koushiro in the rearview mirror. "We won't have Internet at Lake Yamanaka."

"The Digital World isn't the Internet, Dad." Yamato slid into the front passenger seat and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, kid." Hiroaki chuckled and started the engine. "Let's get going—"

"YAMATOOOOOO!"

Yamato recognized that voice and turned pale. He looked in the side mirror and saw Jun running up the sidewalk to their van.

"YAMATO!" She stopped beside the car and panted for breath. "Good morning! I made it!" She wore khakis, hiking boots, and a large backpack.

"Uh…" Yamato stared at her with wide eyes. He felt very conscious of Sora sitting directly behind him.

Taichi leaned forward and rested his elbow on Yamato's chair. "What's going on? I didn't know about this," he whispered incredulously.

"Me neither!" Yamato whispered defensively.

"Well, do something about it," Taichi ordered.

"Taichi…" Sora started.

Yamato didn't want to hear Sora defend him, and quickly got out of the van. "H-hey Jun!" Yamato pulled her aside and he forced a giant smile on his face.

"Hey Yamato!" Jun was ecstatic. She thought that Yamato had the most gorgeous smile, and now he was smiling at _her_. "I heard that you were camping, so I came too!"

"I-I see…" Yamato tossed his bangs out of his eyes, which Jun thought looked effortlessly sexy. He kept blinking which was simply adorable.

In the car, Koushiro grinned and bit his lip, suppressing a giggle. He turned to Taichi. "Daisuke is in trouble with Yamato again, isn't he?"

Taichi grinned back at him. "Being a popular guy sure isn't easy."

"Boys…" Sora warned.

"Huh? Where are Daisuke and the others?" Jun asked, looking around.

"Uh… Th-they're in a different car?" Yamato waved his arm. He heard Taichi laugh and Koushiro followed suit. Yamato whipped his head around to scowl at the van, and then quickly smiled at Jun again. "In my dad's co-worker's car!" he lied.

"I see," Jun shrugged and nodded. Yamato was being secretive again. He was a very handsome puzzle box. _But she knew how to break him, like last time, if they just kept talking…_

"Um, I have a favor to ask," Yamato said abruptly.

"Eh? What?" Jun's heart raced furiously. Yamato was blushing so much! He was so beautiful and vulnerable. She would do anything for him!

"Can you…turn around and count to ten?" he asked slowly. Jun stared at his pink lips. "And close your eyes too, please."

Jun gasped. _A present! A present!_ Fireworks exploded in her head. She was confused about how Yamato could have prepared a present if he wasn't expecting her. But this already felt like her wildest fantasies were coming true, so she hastily spun around and covered her eyes. "Okay! One… Two…"

Yamato sprinted into his seat and shut the car door. "Go go go!" he whispered to his dad. Behind him, Taichi howled with laughter and Koushiro erupted into giggles.

Hiroaki raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure? That girl…"

"Yes I'm sure! _Go!_ "

"Yamato!" Sora's voice sounded angry and it cut through Yamato like a knife. He winced and wished that he could be anywhere else in the world.

" _Please_ go!" he insisted.

Hiroaki shrugged and put his foot on the gas.

"Nine… Ten!" Jun whirled around and saw the van driving down the street. Her jaw dropped. "YAMATO?!"

Yamato sighed and tried to block out the laughter behind him.

"Mr. Ishida! We can't just leave her like that…" Sora looked away from the adult and glared at the boys sitting next to her. "Honestly you two, _shut up._ "

They shut up immediately. Koushiro turned red and sunk down in his seat as if he was melting from shame, so the full force of Sora's withering glare hit Taichi instead. Taichi stammered and smiled weakly.

"Come on, Sora. It's not a big deal!" he said.

Sora narrowed her eyes at him, then she turned to face Yamato. She could only see the top of his perfect blond hair sticking over his seat. "How could you?" she asked.

"What?" Yamato kept his voice steady.

"How could you just leave her there! Is that how you treat all your girl fans?" Sora demanded.

"I don't have _fans!_ " Yamato hissed. "Not—not that many," he followed up.

"Oh don't be modest. We all know you have all the girls in school in your pocket." Taichi tried to sound casual but his voice cracked in a snigger at the end. "It must be because of your wonderful personality!"

Yamato turned around in his seat and scowled at the back row. "I DO NOT!"

"Yamato!" Sora met the boy's eyes. He froze. The three eighth graders were frowning at each other while Koushiro hid his face under his laptop.

" _Ahem_." Hiroaki cleared his throat. Yamato looked away from Sora. "There will be no Middle School drama in this car ride," Hiroaki declared. He was usually a lenient parent, but he could be scarily authoritative when he wanted. "We are on a grownup mission. You can fix things with that girl when we come home. Am I making myself clear?"

Yamato nodded, and behind him the three children said "Yes, Mr. Ishida." Yamato shut his eyes and crossed his arms. Sora's scolding voice and Taichi and Koushiro's laughter were still ringing in his ears. He normally liked daydreaming about Sora's voice, but this hurt. _It was going to be a long drive…_

Sora glowered at the view outside her window, the fast-moving trees and houses. She couldn't believe how insensitive Yamato had been to Jun. A girl who clearly had feelings for him. There were _so_ many girls who loved Yamato. He didn't respect them at all. None of the men in this car did! She wiped her eyes and stubbornly refused to look at any of them. _She didn't care how many hours this drive was._

Taichi sighed and patted Koushiro's shoulder, which seemed to cheer him up. Taichi was used to seeing Sora and Yamato overreact to everything. But honestly, it was just a funny situation, and Jun had no business being here. He had complete confidence in Daisuke to clear things up later. It was no big deal.

Hiroaki smiled at how quiet the children were. He turned up the volume on the radio to his favorite 70s music and bobbed his head to the beat.

Taichi groaned at the loud music and thunked his head on his window. _It was going to be a long ride…_

…

Jun gaped at the Yamato-less street. He had abandoned her! How could he? Yamato wasn't as bad as Momoe said he was, was he?

No! Jun _refused_ to believe that Momoe was right.

The last time Jun spoke to Yamato, he had been _nice_. He had done everything she asked. And the way he blushed and played with his hair—surely he acted like that because he _liked_ her!

Something clicked in Jun's brain. There had been another woman in the car. That redhead, Sora Takenouchi. The girl who was always hanging off of Taichi's arm…

Jun rapidly imagined a scenario in her head where Yamato climbed into his car to retrieve her present, but then that redheaded girl yelled at him to stay put, and shouted at the driver to go. While Poor Tragic Handsome Yamato tearfully protested, but ultimately was powerless to say No.

It all made sense. Jun clenched her fists. That awful woman. She refused to believe that Yamato was to blame. It must have been Sora's fault.

 _Momoe was wrong! She could get Yamato to like her, no matter how many women stood in her way!_

They had underestimated Jun Motomiya. She was many things, but a quitter was not one of them.

"I _will_ go on this camping trip, if it is the last thing I do!" she shouted at the street, sounding to all the local pedestrians like a wicked witch.


	6. Chapter 6: Death and Discovery

**Chapter 6: Death and Discovery**

It all happened so fast.

Miyako raced through the Digital World. She led the way. She climbed up those awful Dark Towers. She shouted for Ken to come face them. _Ken! You stupid bully! That's all you are! I'm not afraid of you!_

They returned to Buffer Bus Cliffs, but the Kaiser's Base wasn't there. Miyako tied a rope to the top of the cliff and tied the other end around her waist and climbed down anyway. Surely there were clues! A mystery! She would solve it! Ken wouldn't outsmart _her!_ She thought that she heard Iori tell her to wait—or maybe it was even Daisuke's voice—what right did _Daisuke_ have to tell her to wait?

A giant spider crawled out of the canyon floor: Dokugumon. Miyako froze. Still dangling on her rope. Dokugumon climbed up the canyon wall much faster than she would have anticipated for a giant beast. He opened his mouth and she saw his fangs below her feet. She couldn't move her legs. Her chest felt tight and she could scarcely breathe, as if she was drowning again, and this time there was no knight in shining armor—

Hawkmon pushed her out of the way.

"Hawkmon!" She didn't need a knight when she had Hawkmon.

When she still _had_ Hawkmon.

"Hawkmon!" Hawkmon was so small next to the beast and it bit him instead of her.

"HAWKMON!" Miyako swung on her rope and grabbed him. She yanked her partner free from the spider's poisonous mouth and held him close. He didn't bleed, but pixels flew out of his chest, and she realized that he was going to disappear in front of her eyes and that was all she could think. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. His eyes were wide and his beak was transparent.

Miyako felt weightless, floating in the air on a rope with her partner in her arms. The rope started rising, lifting them up. Flamedramon leaped down past her and she didn't notice him. She felt four pairs of human hands grab her and pull her to the top of Buffer Bus Cliffs. Iori cried and Takeru asked if she was all right, but she didn't hear their voices. She felt hot as Flamedramon suddenly unleashed a wall of fire behind them, and she didn't hear Daisuke reassure her that they won.

Miyako focused entirely on her partner held tight in her arms, and for one terrifying millisecond, he glitched out of existence, like he was nothing more than a computer bug. He returned, faded, not dead, not dead yet, and Miyako held him fiercely.

"HAWKMOOOOOOON!"

…

Another fast blur. They took Hawkmon away from her. She let them. She didn't deserve him. She sat to the side and cried. Miyako was not the type of person to hide her tears. She knew that they could all hear her sobs but that hardly mattered. Let them think the worst of her. Let everyone know that she was a fool. She was a fool. She heard their voices behind her.

 _Hawkmon, is he okay?_

 _Yeah…Kind of._

 _We've treated his wounds, but…_

 _He needs to lie down until he regains consciousness_. Hikari's authoritative voice rose above the others. So determined. Like her brother, the leader.

Miyako clenched her fists and sobbed. "Hawkmon…"

"Miyako?" It was Hikari's voice again.

Miyako finally stood up and turned around. She saw her friends sitting in a circle around Hawkmon. Except for Hikari, who was standing with her hand outstretched towards Miyako. She pulled her hand back.

Miyako cleared her throat. "Guys, I'll stay here until Hawkmon recovers. So, go look for the Kaiser's Base!"

The boys stood up too and Daisuke objected, but Miyako interrupted him. "Please! I don't want to be any more trouble!"

"Okay. We'll do that," Takeru said with a smile.

Miyako blinked in surprise, not sure how she expected her friends to react. Takeru's expression was kind, but her heart suddenly felt heavier. But she had just told them to leave. It was what she wanted. _It was what she deserved._

"Yeah, we'll go," Daisuke repeated.

"Yes," Iori repeated.

"I'm staying," Hikari mumbled.

Miyako blinked again, and her heart felt lighter. "Hikari…"

"A digimon could appear again, right? So we'll be bodyguards! Okay, Tailmon?" The younger girl's voice was stern again, like an army captain.

"Leave it to me," Tailmon affirmed.

All Miyako could do was nod gratefully. Takeru said something about keeping in contact with the D-3 if they had an emergency, and then the boys left. Hikari smiled and waved goodbye. Then she faced the older girl and her smile disappeared.

"Miyako…"

"What?" Miyako felt nervous in front of the smaller girl.

"If you were offended by what I said yesterday, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"About needing determination…"

"Oh!" Miyako felt strange and embarrassed. She shook her head. "Don't worry! It's not your fault."

Hikari paused, and then she smiled. "You're going to be okay."

"Huh?"

Hikari took a deep breath. She walked forward until she was standing in front of the taller girl. Her fingers twitched. Then she folded her arms around Miyako and hugged her.

"EH?!" Miyako splayed her hands out awkwardly, not sure how to respond.

"You're going to be great like always," Hikari said.

Miyako sniffled. "But I'm not great!"

"You're great to me," the girl insisted.

Miyako didn't understand how that was possible, but Hikari was acting so unusually warm that she believed her anyway. The sixth-grader threw her arms around the fifth-grader and held her tight, even lifting her feet a few inches off the ground. "Thank you!" Miyako sobbed gratefully.

Hikari made a choking noise. Miyako loosened her grip and Hikari smiled in relief.

…

The two human girls and their digimon partners huddled together underneath the trees and the impossibly large flowers. Tailmon had found an antidote for Dokugumon's poison, and Hawkmon already looked much healthier. He was singing and marching in circles.

Hikari giggled at the dancing bird and caught Miyako's eye. Miyako looked more like her usual smiling self, though she was still clearly shaken. But Hikari felt more relaxed to see the girl recovering. Hikari liked Miyako just the way she was.

Miyako looked from Hikari to Tailmon to Hawkmon, and her question burst out like a bubble popping. "What would have happened if you died?"

The girl instantly regretted opening her mouth, as Hawkmon stopped exercising and Hikari looked away. She could feel the happy mood draining.

"We already told you about the Village of Beginnings, yes?" Hawkmon asked gently.

"Yes…"

"So you really shouldn't be so worried!" Hawkmon patted her knee with his wing. "I would have come back. All the digimon that the Kaiser killed will come back."

"Would you have still wanted to be with me?" Miyako whimpered.

"Yes," Hawkmon said firmly.

"Right." Miyako wiped her eyes under her glasses. "I'm sorry to bring it up again. It's just—it's so unfair to you. It was my fault, but you were the one who got hurt!"

"It's not a question of fairness," Tailmon interrupted. "We can afford to die. You can't. I died seven times while I was in Vamdemon's employment."

Miyako felt a chill run down her spine at the cat's words. She saw that her own partner also looked shocked. He had never died before…

"I almost always died in the heat of battle. Usually for Vamdemon's missions. But once it was punishment by poison. That's why I studied antidotes," Tailmon continued. "Of course it was always painful. But physical pain is not the worst kind of pain. It is far worse to be separated from someone you love. And death for digimon is only temporary in this world. So I would die a thousand times here for Hikari, if necessary."

Hikari sighed, pulled the cat into her lap and petted her ears back. "Let's not worry about a thousand times yet when you haven't even reached ten!" she said lightly. Hikari was used to Tailmon's dramatic way of speaking and she had heard the cat's stories of death before. She didn't want her grim partner to intimidate Miyako, who was slack-jawed.

Tailmon purred at her partner's touch. "Yes… I'm sorry if I offended you, Miyako," she repeated Hikari's earlier words. "I watched Wizarmon die twice in the Digital World, before he died a final time in your world. He was always more cautious than me." She smiled fondly. "He was always the one to retrieve my egg from the Village of Beginnings. And I retrieved his egg. So yes—I understand how painful death is in this world. But it is natural to us, and nothing to be afraid of. And…I don't know if I can explain to you how it feels for a digimon to be bonded to a human. You are the other halves of our souls. All those years before I found Hikari, I felt so empty. So you see, it was only natural for Hawkmon to sacrifice himself for you. Veemon, Patamon, Armadimon—we all would do the same. Because we love you, very very much. We always have, and we always will. You humans really are wonderful—you are capable of so much courage, in spite of being mortal. Most digimon don't get to have a partner. They think we're crazy to put ourselves in danger for humans. But they will never know what it's like to love someone like that, a timeless love. That kind of love…it makes everything worth it."

Tailmon stopped talking, and there was a hush all over the forest. Miyako stared at the old warrior cat, who looked tranquil in her partner's arms. Then she looked at her wounded bird, who looked sheepish and a bit overwhelmed. Miyako smiled at him proudly and he smiled back at her, relieved. At least they were both new to this soulmate-thing. She hated the idea of anyone sacrificing themselves, but…at least she could understand that their digimon partners were acting out of love.

However, Miyako still had a question bubbling inside, and she had to ask it. "What about Wormmon?"

"Wormmon…" Tailmon trailed off.

"Is it really worth it for him?" Miyako asked.

Tailmon hesitated before answering. "That's for him to decide. Wormmon knows Ken's soul better than anyone else. Whether his soul is more like Vamdemon, or whether it is more like Hikari… I don't know the answer to that question."

Miyako nodded and sighed.

"Do you think Ken knows about the Village of Beginnings?" Hikari suddenly asked.

"No," Hawkmon immediately answered. "No digimon would ever tell him about that, no matter what he did to us! He could destroy it!"

"So then not even Wormmon has told him," Hikari said thoughtfully.

"Wormmon has good judgment then," Miyako reasoned.

…

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:00_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **To:**_ _Hida Iori_

 _ **Subject:**_ _Hourly Check-up :)_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Dear Iori,_

 _This is your hourly check-up! :) Please let me know that everyone in your group is safe and sound and alive. :) Thank you! :)_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Jou_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:09_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **To:**_ _Ishida Yamato_

 _ **Subject:**_ _EMERGENCY! ! !_

 _ **Message:**_

 _YAMATO!_

 _MAYDAY MAYDAY! ! RED ALERT!_

 _IORI HAS NOT RESPONDED TO HIS HOURLY CHECK-UP! !_

 _WHAT DO WE DO? ?_

 _-Jou_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:11_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Ishida Yamato_

 _ **To:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _EMERGENCY! ! !_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Don't panic! They are probably okay and not at all dead. Or seriously injured. Or lost. Or trapped. Or kidnapped._

 _I am PRETTY sure that Takeru has more sense than that. I am currently discussing a plan with the others._

 _Everything is going to be FINE._

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:13_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Yagami Taichi_

 _ **To:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **Subject:**_ _Gee thanks_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Hi Jou,_

 _Thanks a bunch! Now Yamato AND Sora are freaking out._

 _I told you that you didn't have to worry about anything. If Hikari and the others have an emergency, THEY will email US. Let's have some faith in them._

 _You can focus on writing that chemistry essay or whatever you said you had to do this weekend. Okay?_

 _-Taichi_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:15_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **To:**_ _Yagami Taichi; Ishida Yamato; Takenouchi Sora; Izumi Koushiro_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _Gee thanks_

 _ **Message:**_

 _WELL I'M SORRY TO ANNOY YOU. THIS IS ALL I CAN DO RIGHT NOW._

 _AND WHAT IF THEY ALL LOST THEIR D-3'S? ? ?_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:16_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Takenouchi Sora_

 _ **To:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _Gee thanks_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Hi Jou,_

 _You're not annoying us! Don't worry about that. I'm sure they will write back soon. :) Let's not get worried!_

 _Everything is going to be fine!_

 _-Sora_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:17_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Inoue Miyako_

 _ **To:**_ _-All Chosen Children-_

 _ **Subject:**_ _Found the base!_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Hey everyone! Guess what?!_

 _HIKARI AND I FOUND THE KAISER'S BASE!_

 _WOOHOO! !_

 _-Miyako_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:18_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Tachikawa Mimi_

 _ **To:**_ _-All Chosen Children-_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _Found the base!_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Congratulations Miyako!_

 _You are all doing FABULOUS! You are going to save the day!_

 _I have decided that my job for this mission will be to fly back home and throw a HUGE PARTY when you're done. Won't that be fun? Look forward to it!_

 _Hugs and kisses,_

 _Mimi_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:19_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Inoue Miyako_

 _ **To:**_ _-All Chosen Children-_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _Found the Base!_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Mimi Mimi Mimi! !_

 _That sounds super duper fun! Wow! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! I MISS YOU SO MUCH! Daisuke and the others also say they miss you and they can't wait to party but I MISS YOU THE MOST AND I WANT TO PARTY WITH YOU THE MOST!_

 _Lots of love,_

 _Miyako_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:20_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Hida Iori_

 _ **To:**_ _Kido Jou; Yagami Taichi; Ishida Yamato; Takenouchi Sora; Izumi Koushiro_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _Hourly Check-up :)_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Dear Jou, Taichi, Yamato, Sora and Koushiro,_

 _Hello. We are safe. Hawkmon was injured, but he is better now. That was our only casualty. I just heard that Miyako and Hikari found the Base. That means that the mission is going smoothly._

 _It is very thoughtful of you to check in on us._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Iori_

 _P.S. I apologize for sending this late. We have not learned about typing yet in third grade, so I am slow._

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:22_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **To:**_ _Hida Iori_

 _ **Re: Subject:**_ _Hourly Check-up :)_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Dear Iori,_

 _Thank you for writing back! Congratulations on finding the base. Don't worry about being slow at typing. I almost forgot that you were only in third grade. Wow._

 _PLEASE BE CAREFUL. :)_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Jou_

* * *

 _ **Time:**_ _18:25_

 _ **Email from:**_ _Takenouchi Sora_

 _ **To:**_ _Kido Jou_

 _ **Subject:**_ _About your hourly check-ups_

 _ **Message:**_

 _Hi Jou!_

 _I'm glad that they're safe. I think that Taichi is right; they will email us if they have an emergency. Let's not hover so much, haha._

 _Thinking of you!_

 _Sora_

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **In case it isn't clear, everyone is using their personal D-3's to email each other in the last scene.**

 **When my family watched** _ **Digimon Adventure 02**_ **as children, Wormmon's death made my little sisters cry. I wanted to use this chapter to explore ways that the writers could have foreshadowed that he would resurrect, like Patamon had in season 1, while still treating death seriously.**

 **Remember to review!**


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